COVID-19 cases correlate with greater acceptance coping in flexible cultures: A cross-cultural study in 26 countries

Zhou X., English A. S., Kulich S. J., Zheng L., Alves T., Aquino S. D., ...More

Social and Personality Psychology Compass, vol.18, no.2, 2024 (SSCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 18 Issue: 2
  • Publication Date: 2024
  • Doi Number: 10.1111/spc3.12919
  • Journal Name: Social and Personality Psychology Compass
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, Index Islamicus, Psycinfo
  • Keywords: acceptance coping, COVID-19 prevalence, cultural flexibility
  • Bursa Uludag University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

The current study examines whether the prevalence of COVID-19 cases and cultural flexibility correlate to one's use of acceptance coping across 26 cultures. We analyzed data from 7476 participants worldwide at the start of the first outbreak from March 2020 to June 2020. Results showed that cultural flexibility moderated the relationship between COVID-19 cases and individuals' acceptance coping strategies. Specifically, for cultures with high flexibility, COVID-19 cases correlated with more acceptance coping; for cultures with low flexibility, COVID-19 cases correlated with less acceptance coping. This result demonstrates how participants from flexible cultures can coexist with the realistic challenges and suffering faced during this pandemic.